Obviously, when SHTF we'll each be faced with a very steep learning curve.

Whichever strategy or set of strategies one chooses, none will cover all eventualities. Nor, in all likelihood, will that strategy cover all aspects of any cataclysm. Not only will the learning curve be that of our particular strategy, but that required to adapt to conditions as they emerge.

Living our strategy, to my mind, is the best preparation.

You get to work out such bugs as you can, assess and revise your approaches. You can afford experiments and mistakes. Discover any gaps and fill them. Get to know the environment you've chosen, and shift if you're not pleased. Form networks and alliances before they're absolutely needed. Organize (eg, tahanson's Collapse Recovery Center), on behalf of the present as well as the future.

In short, I'd say good preparation is more than a well-stocked hunker down or bug out plan... it's a lifestyle based on how you'd like to live after.